GENERAL INFORMATION

Date

Sunday 31st August to Friday 5th September 2025

Venue

Tauranga Netball Centre​​​​​​​, Blake Park, Mount Maunganui

Cost

$960.00 per team (NZ$)

Entries Open

Online registrations open on Friday March 14th 2025, at 9:00 AM

Entries Close

Online registrations close on Wednesday May 28th 2025, at 7:59 PM

CONTACT

Email: info@nzaimsgames.co.nz

PLANNING INFORMATION

Costs

• Schools are required to pay the entry fee of $960.00 per team (NZ$).

• Should a team require an umpire, there is an additional cost of $1,000.00 (NZ$) for the week.

• Strictly non-refundable.

• School teams that withdraw from the Zespri AIMS Games after May 28th 2025, will lose their tournament entry fee and will be excluded from participating in Zespri AIMS Games for the next two years.

• Payment MUST be made within seven days of receipt of invoice.

• Invoices will be sent to the school accounts manager after the entry closing date, Wednesday 28th May 2025.

Entries Close

• Wednesday, 28th May 2025 at 7:59 PM.

• Entries to the 2025 Zespri AIMS Games must be submitted online through the online registration system. 

• Registrations will only be accepted from the school's designated Zespri AIMS Games Coordinator.

• Schools are allocated a unique Zespri AIMS Games registration log in code to complete their entries.

Competitor's Age

Competitors must be over 10 years of age and under 13 years of age, as at 31st December the year before the tournament year. Competitor’s birthdates will be required on school registration documentation. For the 2025 Zespri AIMS Games, the eligible birth years are 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Divisions - new in 2025

• 7 Aside Girls Division (a maximum of 12 registered players per team / minimum 10 registered players per team).

• 7 Aside Open Division (a maximum of 12 registered players per team / minimum 10 registered players per team).

  • Teams playing in the Open Division can be mixed gender or comprised of all girls.
  • Where a team is mixed gender, a maximum of three (3) boys may play on court at the same time, provided there is only one boy in each third of the court i.e., (GS,GA) (WA,C,WD) (GK,GD).
    

Schools must choose their division and may register one team only (i.e., they cannot enter one team in each division).

Multiple Sporting Codes

• Students may compete in more than one sporting code, provided they are in line with the permitted code crossovers. 

• Timetable allowances will not be made for any competitors, and it is the sole responsibility of the school to check for programming conflicts. 

• Students participating in the 2025 Zespri AIMS Games can only compete in one team sport.  This means that students competing in Netball strictly cannot also compete in the following sporting codes – 3x3 Basketball, 5-Aside Basketball, Football, Futsal, Hockey, Rip Rugby, Rugby Sevens or Water Polo.​​​​​​​ 

Placings/Seedings/Oversubscribed

• All teams will be placed into pools based on a combination of 2024 seedings and a geographic spread. Seedings will be at the tournament organiser’s discretion.

• If oversubscribed the top 110 placed teams from 2024 will get automatic entry with the final places being balloted if required.

• If registration for an activity is oversubscribed, then the opportunity to participate will be at the discretion of the executive committee and no further correspondence will be entered into (if unsuccessful the registration fee will be refunded).

PROGRAMME

Note:

• There may be late night games to accommodate any disruptions and/or draw allocations.

• The AIMS Games Trust recommends a maximum of 60 minutes of play per day for intermediate-aged students.

• Coaches and managers must ensure they bring a sufficient squad to enable player rotation to ensure player safety.

• To ensure players are given equal opportunities, Netball NZ (NNZ) and the AIMS Games Trust recommends all players get a minimum of half a game for every game.

RULES

1. Local netball centres will be hosting rule change workshops at the beginning of the netball season, otherwise visit https://www.netballnz.co.nz/our-game/rules-of-netball

2. Coaches and managers are encouraged to attend a local netball centre rule refresher workshop.

3. Warm-up for all the games will be on court (10 minutes) – NetballSmart Year 7 and 8 Power Warm up five-minutes and Ball drills five-minutes.

4. Each court will be provided with the game ball – Silver Fern Albatross Size 5. This must be used for all games. Teams are to provide their own warm up balls, available from Ed Sports. – https://www.totaleducation.co.nz/shop/silver-fern-albatross-match-netball-size-5/

5. Teams are to provide their own first aid kit, timekeeper and scorer.

6. All games will be controlled from the central timer for the entire game. Players must leave the court if injured, unwell or bleeding. Injury time will be allowed but no time will be added to the game.

7. Official score shall be that recorded on the official scorecard – to avoid discrepancies the timekeeper and scorer will sit together (table provided courtside).

8. Points – four for a win, two for a draw, one for a loss by three goals or less. If teams are equal on points after round-robin play, placings will be decided by goal ratio.

9. We will endeavour to give teams in uneven sections a crossover game. The score does not count for the cross over game, but the game must be played.

10. 7 Aside quarters, semi-finals and final – if there is a draw at full time, play must continue until one team has a two-goal advantage.

11. Injury time – As per International rules. The umpire is the sole official of the injury time taken.

12. Teams will be defaulted if they are not on court ready to play within one minute of the scheduled start.

13. Any team that does not turn up for a scheduled game will be fined $400 with future Zespri AIMS Games netball registrations reviewed.

Umpires

1. Umpires to hold a minimum NNZ Centre Practical qualification.

2. Secondary students who hold this qualification are to be encouraged to officiate (but must come with the approval of their principal).

3. The organising committee will appoint umpires to matches – umpires will not officiate their own team.

4. The organising committee shall have the right to arrange sponsorship pertaining to umpire and to decide the clothing to be worn, including details relating to sponsor’s name/logo which may appear.

5. Umpires are required to wear white.

6. Participating teams are required to provide an experienced umpire, or should an umpire be required, then there is an additional cost of $1,000.00 for the week (indication of requiring a paid umpire is to be recorded and paid for on the initial registration form).

7. Any school which contacts the Zespri AIMS Games team in relation to requesting an umpire after the deadline (28th May) will be charged a 50% late registration fee, however umpires cannot be guaranteed at this stage.

Official playING ball - Zespri AIMS Games

The Silver Fern Albatross is a quality size 5 match ball, made from Grade 1 rubber with Swirl Grip pattern, providing exceptional grip. The 4ply cross lining with hi-tech long air retention bladder reduces air loss. Manufactured to full international specifications.
​​​​​​​

Available from Ed Sports. 

Coaches

Attendance at a NetballSmart educational workshop is a compulsory event for all coaches prior to the Zespri AIMS Games netball tournament. The workshop not only works through the NetballSmart Year 7 and 8 Power warm up but also provides very useful tips on recovery, hydration and nutrition and how to survive a tournament which is relevant for coaches and managers. Contact the NetballSmart Development Officer in your area to find out more about the workshops. 

ParkING

The carpark between the Mount Sports Centre and the Mount Maunganui Tennis Courts is strictly for school vans ONLY – this will be monitored by security at all times.

MEDAL PRESENTATIONS

The top three placed teams in A Grade (both divisions) will be presented with their medals immediately following the finals.  The top three placed teams in B Grade and below will be presented with certificates.